Carlos Condit on long-awaited return at UFC 219: ‘I’m a prize fighter, so it’s time to see what I still got’

Carlos Condit will make his much-anticipated return to the Octagon on Dec. 30, 2017, at UFC 219 to face Neil Magny at UFC 219 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After losing to Demian Maia via first-round submission at UFC on FOX 21 back in 2016 (see it), Carlos Condit boldly admitted that perhaps he didn’t have what it takes to compete with the top-level fighters of today.

In fact, he even contemplated retirement due to fear of brain trauma. So why after more than a year away from the fight game did Condit feel it was time to return? He broke it down during a recent edition of “The MMA Hour.”

“That feeling never really left, honestly, man. I’m a fighter, this is what I love to do. There are obviously a lot of different factors that go into making decisions, as important as to what I am doing with my life, with my career. I will probably want to fight until the day I am dead, man,” Condit proclaimed.

Admittedly, Condit says he spoke about retiring at a time when he was at his lowest point of his career, especially after losing without putting up much of a fight.

“At the time, I was feeling very dejected, disappointed,” he explained. “I’m a very competitive person, and I obviously fell short in a really shitty way. Even fights that I lost in the past in UFC, I still [went] out there and fought my ass off and put on a hell of a show. That fight, I wasn’t able to do that. That added to this thing and there is a lot of different stuff. Ultimately, I am a prize fighter, its what I do for a living, its my trade and its time for me to get back to see what I still got.”

Returning to face Magny after a long break isn’t the easiest of things, though, because he has proven to be a tough draw for anyone. Condit, however, is up for the challenge.

“He’s been calling me out for a while. He’s a tough guy, really good all around, not spectacular anywhere, but I think a really tough test for me coming off such a long layoff. I thought that was probably a pretty good opponent,” concluded Condit.

UFC 219 currently features a Bantamweight showdown pitting Dominick Cruz against Jimmie Rivera (details), while talks of a potential title fight between women’s Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm are still ongoing.